Lincoln museum anticipates crowds following Spielberg movie

SPRINGFIELD, IL. (KTVI) – A film that is getting rave reviews is expected to pump up attendance at a museum in Springfield, Illinois. Each year 300,000 people visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Folks come from around the world to learn more about the 16th president. Presidents Obama and Bush have visited as well as world leaders and celebrities.

The new movie “Lincoln” is expected to attract even more visitors to the museum. Daniel Day Lewis plays the president. He stopped by Springfield to prepare for this role. He examined Lincoln artifacts and locations where Lincoln had lived and worked. The museum deputy director David Blanchette said, “He (Lewis) asked to be alone and have quiet for a few moments at a time, you’d see him absorbing the atmosphere, as if okay Lincoln was here this is what he saw this is what he heard.”

The movie audience may hear some of the same things the Lincoln family heard 150 years ago. The film’s sound crews paid a visit to the museum. Blanchette said, “The law offices clock, the dinner bell, Mary Lincoln’s music box, these were all recorded. We don’t know if they made it into the film itself but they were certainly meticulous about being as authentic as possible.

He said producers wanted to know every detail concerning the president to make the movie as accurate as possible. Blanchette added, ” We could not pay for publicity like the Lincoln film coming out.”